The Killam Fellowships Program: A Year of Canada-US Undergraduate Exchange

What the Killam Fellowships Program funds

The Killam Fellowships Program sends exceptional undergraduate students on a one semester or full academic year exchange between Canada and the United States. A Canadian student spends the term at a partner US university, and an American student spends the term at a partner Canadian university, so the exchange runs both directions. Fulbright Canada administers the program.

Fellows keep their home degree registration while studying at the host institution, so credits normally transfer back, though you confirm the specifics with your own registrar before you go.

Who can apply

You need to be an undergraduate enrolled at one of the program's partner universities. On the Canadian side, partners include McGill, the University of Toronto, the University of Alberta, and Queen's University, among others. On the US side, partners include American University, Arizona State University, Clemson, Georgia Tech, and the University of Texas at Austin, among others. the current partner list, since not every Canadian university participates.

Funding

Killam Fellows receive 6,000 USD for a one semester exchange or 12,000 USD for a full academic year, along with a health benefit plan for the exchange period. Additional mobility grants of up to 800 USD support educational field trips connected to your term abroad. These figures reflect the current cycle, so confirm the amount for your application year directly with Fulbright Canada, since award levels change between cycles.

Two ways to apply

You apply either as a direct exchange student, registering through your home university's existing partnership agreement with a specific host school, or a self-placed visiting student. The direct exchange route usually goes through your international or study abroad office, while the self-placed route puts more of the application work on you.

Talk to your home university's exchange office first, since which route fits depends on whether your school already has an active Killam partnership with the US school you want.

The Killam funding covers your program costs and a stipend, not a guaranteed dorm room or meal plan. Contact your host university's exchange or international student office directly once you are accepted, since housing applications at some partner schools run on their own separate deadlines that do not wait for your Killam confirmation.

How this differs from a standard study abroad term

A standard study abroad term is something your university arranges through its own general exchange agreements, with funding, if any, coming from your home institution's own study abroad office. The Killam Fellowships Program is a named, funded exchange specifically between Fulbright Canada's partner schools, with its own application, its own funding package, and eligibility tied to the partner list rather than your university's full roster of exchange partners.

Because the funding is fixed and comes from the program itself rather than your home school, you do not need to separately win a scholarship or bursary to cover the cost of the term, though you still budget for costs the award does not cover, like your flight, any entry paperwork, and personal spending money.

Timeline

Fulbright Canada typically opens the Killam competition in mid-August for an exchange beginning the following fall, so prepare your application materials, transcripts, and reference letters over the summer before the term you want. Confirm the exact deadline for your target year directly on the Fulbright Canada site, since it is set annually.

Getting your application ready

Strong applications explain why the specific host university, not just the destination country, fits your academic plan. Reviewers look for a clear link between your coursework at home and what you plan to study on exchange, so name specific courses, labs, or programs at the host school rather than describing general interest in studying in the US or Canada. Ask your department for a reference letter early, since faculty writing several letters at once around deadline season need lead time.

Look into specific research groups, guest lecture series, or career resources at the host campus tied to your major, since large partner universities often give visiting exchange students the same access as their own undergraduates. Naming these in your application shows the reviewers you picked the school for a real reason.